


Becoming Julia

by Lavenderfreak



Series: Alive [2]
Category: Bodyguard (TV 2018)
Genre: AU, Barrister Julia, F/M, Julia Montague Lives, Julia and David - Freeform, Prequel, Young Julia, mild AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-10-25 09:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17722694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavenderfreak/pseuds/Lavenderfreak
Summary: After the Thornton circus attack, Julia Montague ponders her budding relationship with David and her life as flashbacks from her past manifest themselves and show her how she truly became herself. After a series of flashbacks from her life, she soon comes to the realization on the eve of the St. Matthews speech that love is more important than power but is she too late? Can hers and David's relationship live to see another day?





	1. Flashback

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter in a nine chapter work entitled "Becoming Julia." It is a Prequel to my work "Alive," which you can read here https://archiveofourown.org/works/16733523  
> I will be adding new chapters each week or when inspiration strikes. I am also an American, so my spelling of words, grammar and my phrasing of certain terms might be a little different.
> 
> Read my latest work here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18615421/chapters/44140552

Chapter One: Flashback

Every time, Julia Montague closed her eyes, she could see bullets fly and blood spew everywhere as more bullets pounded the car. She was shocked they weren’t all killed. She quickly opened her eyes before more ghastly visions could manifest themselves. She knew sleep would allude her tonight.

She sat up in the warm bed of the Blackwood Hotel in London, dazed. However, dazed did not begin to describe her feelings for living a day in utter hell. She was standing but shaken. She turned to espy David half asleep next to her. “My God” she thought, “What just happened?” This day had taken so many twists and turns, she didn’t know where to begin. She had started the morning at 10 Downing Street, then was almost blown to pieces at Thornton Circus and now she was here in bed with her P.P.O… “What did this mean,” she mused? “Did it have to mean anything? Was it just a moment of comfort after a hellish day?”

This had become her life, hiding in hotels from assassins with her P.P.O. Though she did not quite know how to characterize what happened with David, she knew she cared for him. She found that out the other night, when they shared fish and chips. He seemed like a calm constant in her life. The only calm constant in a life filled with chaos. She felt with David, she had a safe place to land. 

She got up from the bed and wandered towards the bathroom. She closed the door and pulled her white hotel robe up against her neck, folded her arms against her chest as to hold herself. “How in the bloody hell did this happen?” She thought her life would become better, more fulfilling, once she entered politics. She thought she could make a real difference. But the only real difference she made was that tonight she was hauled up in some hotel like a victim fearing an assassin’s bullet rather than staying in her London apartment. Nothing had really changed. She thought by now she would be Prime Minister leading the country in the right direction but no she had to rely on the security service to help in this goal with a backdoor party challenge. She thought when she quit being a barrister, she was going to change it all, change society for the better and make herself happier. Truly, in the recesses of her heart, she felt that it produced neither effect. This type of feeling was almost akin to the feeling she felt in her last days as a barrister. Helpless, feeling like a failure. Upon this, she was instantly transported to the day of the last case she lost. She had told David, she was a criminal barrister. That was true but she had a feeling that he thought she prosecuted those accused of crimes rather than defend them, which was what she had done for so many years, defend the voiceless. This was different from her now hardliner approach to terror, she had hope back then. As a young child, she had wanted to help people. She felt the best way to accomplish such a goal was to assist the voiceless, those who got caught up in the world of crime often times due to circumstances out of their control. She had relished the job at first but by the end, she had bitterly discovered that all it brought was disappointment. 

She could see herself, a young version of herself stumble along the streets of London that cold rainy afternoon away from the horrors of the courtroom she just left. She rushed passed crowds of strangers on the street on the way to her flat. Once at her flat, she fumbled through her handbag to find her keys and quickly opened the door. During her whole journey home , she was trying not to cry, she was trying to hold her tears. She never cried but at this moment, even her strong will was not going to be enough to stop her impending tears. Tears began flooding down her face. She had just suffered a devastating setback in court. Being a criminal barrister specializing in criminal defense, she was use to losing cases. But this felt like so much more. It felt as if the universe was giving her a sign to give up this fight, a fight she at the moment was losing. She felt ineffective, unhelpful. She had lost all hope. What was she going to do with her life now?

This thought then switched to a few weeks later, when she was back home in Cheltenham. She had quit the practice of law and had left London for the time being. She was back in her girlhood home town, she thought it would be best to clear her head, go back to her roots. The roots she had long ago rebelled from. She was at a non discreet pub, not far from her childhood home. She was meeting one of her old party mates for a drink. She smiled at this memory, this was when she still had friends. She had people she could truly trust and did not desire political favor. Now her only friend, if she could truly call him that was Dave but was he more than a friend? At this moment, her thoughts were soon taken back to the pub. She remembered it was towards the end of their visit, she was sipping her beer when her friend Lydia asked “what are you going to do now?” 

“I haven't the slightest clue,” she replied.

“ Maybe you could run for parliament?” 

“Parliament that seems counterproductive,” she snarked back. 

“You always wanted to help people,” Lydia prompted. 

“How does politics help people? How does parliament help people?” 

“Maybe you can be the first MP to help,” beamed Lydia.

Before she could see herself respond she heard David leave. Oh God, did her sudden impulse create a wedge between her and the only good thing in her life? No, he felt a connection too, she just knew it. But was this a onetime thing or the start of something but was it the start of something dangerous ? But how was this any more dangerous than what was already happening? Whatever was happening between them was a risk for sure but all her life she had taken risks. With this thought she was instantly taken back to the pub.

“Mm,” she said. Her signature saying when she was thinking more than she was saying. “Mm MP Julia Montague, it has a nice ring to it,” she said as she held up her beer, while thinking “Maybe I could make a difference in Parliament!” This thought, this one simple thought changed her life forever!


	2. Vote for Julia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia's campaign for Parliament heats up but hits an unexpected snag, while in the present her passion for David grows!

Chapter Two: Vote for Julia 

With the words to David “is that what you always wanted to do” referencing his time in the army, Julia was instantly transported back to her first campaign for Parliament. She had never wanted to be a politician; the thought never crossed her mind. She thought members of Parliament were old stuffy drunks who spent the day debating rubbish. But here she was a few months removed from being a barrister and she was shuffling around campaign events. That night after she left the pub, she went home, it was actually her parents’ home, she was staying with them until she decided what to do with her life. She stayed awake all night staring at the ceiling of her old room, a room she was always sneaking out of as a teenager. Early the next morning, she was telling her parents at breakfast her plans, they were shocked Julia never seemed like the type to run for Parliament. When she was a teenager, they had started to get her involved in a group for young conservatives, she hadn’t shown the slightest interest. To them she was more interested in partying than being a member of a party. Though they were shocked by this new career path, Julia doing the most unexpected thing made sense, it was what she had always done.

After thinking all morning about it, she decided that out of all the parties she would probably be a conservative. That afternoon, she went to the party's office, they were more than skeptical. They didn't know if they wanted what they called a failed barrister to represent them in Parliament. It was towards the end of her meeting and she could see she was getting nowhere with them. As she turned to leave, she called out in a way that was now common to her as Home Secretary, “if you don’t want me to represent the conservatives then fine, I’ll run as an independent and I’ll win, I promise you that!” 

The way she said it sounded so determined as if she could make anything happen. As if with her words, she could move the earth. Upon this statement, the young party official instantly chased after her, begged her to reconsider and told her that they would support her candidacy.

At this she began the long campaign for Parliament. After she filed the nomination paperwork, the nitty-gritty of campaigning began. Constituent meetings were her favorite campaign activity. She liked talking with people, hearing their stories, it felt real, it made politics real. They made politics something more personal and perhaps something purer. She was packing up her things after what was an especially successful constituent meeting, when a man about her age approached. Now that she thought about it years later, he looked like David with his youngish looking face, soft brown hair and piercing eyes that could see into your soul. “Hello Julia,” he said as she turned around to greet him.  
“Jasper,” she cried with a smile. Jasper was her ex-boyfriend, a boyfriend she always felt that she had amazing chemistry with. They had dated during their first years at University but drifted apart. He was truly her first love. “Dear Lord, what on earth are you doing here?” 

“To meet the newest MP,” Jasper replied with a smile. 

“Possible new MP, I still need to win.” 

“All right can I buy a possible new MP a drink?” 

At this Julia bit her lip and thought about Jasper's offer, there was a reason they weren't still together. But still she thought, yes there was a reason but maybe it wasn't a good reason. Perhaps she could give Jasper a second chance. Her answer might have been impulsive, but Julia had always been impulsive. 

“Mm why not,” she declared smiling a seductive smile as she grabbed Jasper’s open hand and began to walk with him.

It was now a few days before the election, the campaign had been grueling but more fulfilling than law ever was. It was early in the morning and she was still in bed in a little flat, she had recently purchase. She rolled over to her side and cried “Jasper!” 

“What…good morning,” he said as he woke up next to her as he leaned in for a kiss. She and Jasper were back together again. Julia hadn't really wanted to date anyone during the midst of a campaign, but she was glad he was back in her life. He was impulsive and rebellious like her, that was something she loved. He was even her election agent now. A few days after she had reunited with Jasper, she had fired her first election agent, she felt that he was bothersome and didn’t understand her vision. She had only chosen him because he was on a list of approved agents suggested by the party and before the party could recommend any more horrid choices, she chose Jasper.

“So, this is kind of unseemly, a candidate and an election agent, voters might not like it.”

“They could even deem it a heinous crime,” she teased echoing the words she would tell David years later. She kissed him gently and said, “come on we need to get ready.”

Her thoughts were now being drawn back to the present. She had just opened her hotel room door to see David. As they walked to the elevator, she made some cheeky remark asking how he slept, even though she knew perfectly well how he slept. They soon found themselves in the loo, as she turned to face him, she thought to herself “Good God that man looks bloody hot in a suit.” Upon this thought she playfully pushed him against the door, and they began to kiss. She loved the way that he was just as impulsive as her just like Jasper had been all those years ago. He also made her feel safe. The safety she felt transcended their roles as principal and P.P.O… She felt safe because she knew he had her best interest at heart, and he would never do anything to harm her unlike Jasper.

With this thought, she was back in her first campaign office with Jasper. “So today went well,” declared Jasper.

“It did indeed,” commented Julia.

“Your poll numbers are looking good, you should win.”

Julia smiled a snide smile coupled with the words “I’m glad,” and gently pushed Jasper against the wall of the campaign office and kissed him. As the kiss became more and more passionate, Jasper whispered “you want to do this here?”

“Why not,” she teased.

“Then I'm glad,” he said as a flash of light, like a camera could be seen through the window of the campaign office that was not notice by either Julia or Jasper.

The next day Julia was awakened early in the morning by a call, she and Jasper were all over the news. Pictures of them were on every newspaper, the light in the window was a camera of a reporter. Encrusted in these headlines were salacious, sexist and untrue stories about Julia. These stories ranged from questioning her judgment to questioning her fitness for elected office.

She was now sitting in her private office at the campaign headquarters, wondering how she went from winning the polls to having her fitness for office questioned in a matter of hours. She could now lose the election. She saw the door to her office open and a campaign staffer walked in. The staffer looked at her for a second before saying “we believe someone from your campaign tipped the press off!”


	3. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the eve of her first election, Julia contends with a betrayal from someone close to her and her campaign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished chapter three a little early, it is a little shorter than the other chapters, it made sense to break up the plot here.

Chapter Three: Betrayal 

It had been a day since the leak was discovered and it was all anyone in the campaign could talk about. That morning, Julia walked into Jasper’s office at the campaign headquarters. “This leak is engulfing the campaign, everyone has stopped talking about your vision for the future” he declared as soon as he saw her. 

“So your plan is working perfectly, Culpepper (Julia’s Labour opponent) must be happy, he's getting his money’s worth.” 

“What on earth are you talking about,” snapped Jasper.

“I found out that you were on Culpepper's payroll.”

“How in the bloody hell did you find out? And I promise it's not what it looks like.”

“Oh who bloody cares how I found out? But what do you mean it is not what it looks like?”

“Yes, Culpepper paid me to go to your meeting and to sabotage your campaign . Yes, I paid the reporter to take pictures of us because I know you, you are as impulsive as bloody hell. I didn’t do it to harm you personally, just your campaign. I truly like you. I hope this doesn't change anything between us.” 

“Then hope again.”

“Good God Julia come on, some might say I did you a favor.”

“How? What favor? All I see you doing is trying to sabotage me. Maybe you do not understand the meaning of the word sabotage.”

“Jules think about it, you could barely make it as a barrister, now you want to go to Parliament. They'll eat you alive and spit you out. I'm sorry but you wouldn't make it a week there. Wouldn't it be better for you to stay here with me and let Culpepper go and fail?”

“You are disgusting, you know that don't you? You probably know this as well, you are fired. I never ever want to see you again. The only time, I would ever tolerate the thought of seeing you again is when I'm Prime Minister and you come crawling back to me apologizing because I made it. Watch me, I am going to rule the world,” she declared as she left his office leaving him behind.

This thought soon faded and she found herself in the present. Her hands were trembling as she held the kompromat, which she had just received from the security service. Back then, being Prime Minister seemed like a faraway dream and now she was about to launch her bid for number ten. She thought she would be happier, but she wasn’t, she had doubts. At this juncture, her thoughts switched to the moment when she won her seat in Parliament. 

She remembered watching the telly in her campaign headquarters with her staff sans Jasper, a few days after his firing. She watched the election officials from her constituency prepare to declare the results to the nation. Tension could be cut with a knife as she heard “Julia Montague Conservative, twenty-four thousand votes, Harry Culpepper Labour, twenty-two thousand votes!” As cheers began to engulf the office, she was stunned but happy! She did it, she won when no one else thought she could! This was the happiest moment of her life, she was about to change Parliament and the country forever.


	4. Parliament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still stunned by Jasper's betrayal, Julia becomes Parliament's biggest star. However, as a new love interest emerges, old mistakes may be repeated. In the present, Julia worries that she may have messed things up with David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does feature Rodger, you really can't have a story about Julia's life without talking about Rodger. I also changed the elevator scene, a little bit. I think you guys will like the change.

Chapter Four: Parliament 

Julia was Parliament’s biggest star. She was all the country was talking about, the young MP taking the nation by storm. Reporters were always talking about her votes, her goals and much to her annoyance her choice of clothes. She had more than made it, she was thriving!

She was still seething over what happened with Jasper. She was furious at herself for being so foolish, she had actually believed he cared about her. She wished he would go to hell. Here, she was a member of Parliament but still making the same mistakes. She had always been attracted to men who possessed that bad boy swagger, like Jasper. She had loved men who were over confident, impulsive, took risks, didn't care what people thought. But what had it gotten her? She had almost lost her election because of Jasper. She had thought highly of him and he had thought nothing of her as if she was disposable, it almost made her sick to think about it. She needed to stop with men like that. She just wanted to meet someone nice, who would support her and her goals and be fine to be with a powerful woman. 

She sighed as she walked into her personal office at Westminster, she had no time to think about Jasper or anyone else for that matter, she was giving her maiden speech as a member of Parliament. As she walked further into her office, she rolled her eyes sitting on her desk was a bouquet of colorful flowers from Jasper. Ever since she was declared Parliament’s newest star, Jasper had been attempting to reach out and apologize. Sometimes he would write a letter to her office begging her to take him back, sometimes he would call her London flat or like he did today send flowers. But he always got the same response, which was no response from Julia, who wanted him to fall off the face of the earth. She picked up the flowers and threw them away, like she always did. She then bellowed to her assistant “Wilhelmina, what have I told you about accepting flowers?”  
Upon this one of her new colleagues, Rodger Penhaligon stepped into her office. She was not sure what to think of Rodger yet. He was not nearly as aggravating as some of her colleagues. He seemed perfectly pleasant at this point in time, but what was hidden in the sub context of the word pleasant, translated to perfectly dull. He looked at her before asking “what was wrong with those flowers?”

“They were from a nobody, what do you care?”

“You could have just kept them."

“Why and be reminded of a nobody and why are you here? I mean do you have anything that leadership wants me to say in my speech (Rodger was apart of the conservative leadership team)?” 

“No, I just wanted to wish you luck on your speech today.” 

As Julia's thoughts brought her back to the present, she rolled her eyes thinking of Rodger’s lame attempt to flirt with her. She wanted to clear all thoughts of Rodger from her head as she walked into the elevator with David. She had become caught up with the Kompromat nonsense the night before that she had neglected to go to him. She missed him, she smiled slightly at him as the elevator doors closed and she gently pushed him against the doors of the elevator and kissed him! As he kissed her back in the passionate way like he always did, it felt good, it felt right, it felt pure. She felt a way she had never felt before. After a few seconds, she turned around and explained to David she was working late last night and she didn't have time for him. She assured him that she would give him “a knock later on.” But these words did not comfort David, rather he seemed annoyed by the whole thing as if he was disposable. 

Great, she thought as they got out of the elevator. Did she now mess things up with David before they even truly began? He was the only good thing in her life and really the only good man she had ever been with. 

At this thought, her thoughts switched back to Rodger, someone who was the very opposite of David. She hated thinking about how she so foolishly bought his good man act. She was just finishing her maiden speech with the words “parliament’s aim should not be to hinder the people of this nation but rather to help and lift up the people. The goal of government, any government should be helping its citizens,” Julia said as the chamber burst into cheers! After the speech, she was receiving praise from her colleagues when Rodger came and invited her to dinner. She never understood why she accepted such an invitation. It was probably for the petty reason he was dull and plain in a stunning contrast to Jasper’s recklessness and unpredictability. Being so betrayed by Jasper, she equated this facade of dull and plain as being the traits of a good man. She would later find out that she was wrong. Thus, she accepted Rodger’s invitation to dinner that night and the night after that and the night after that. They soon became Parliament’s power couple and she had maybe fallen in love with the idea of Rodger. He was prudent, calm but also like her, ambitious. During the early days of their relationship, she thought she found her match. It really was more of a match of convenience, there were no sparks. 

It was now six months into their relationship, they were at one of the fanciest private restaurants in all of London. They were eating dinner and Rodger was babbling on about how their dating was helping improve the party's image. That was all he talked about was the party and how the party was being perceived. Sometimes, he would talk policy with her, a conversation she liked. She was becoming bored with Rodger’s talking as she normally did. However, things with Rodger had been nice and dull. She had mistaken this for love. As she started picking at what remain of her food, she looked up and saw some reporters with cameras. She rolled her eyes, she thought this restaurant was for members only. Rodger not fazed by this, said “ you know everything has been going well between us, our careers are soaring, so I think it is time to take the next logical step.” Upon this, he pulled out a large black box and got down on one knee. He said in the most Rodger like fashion not focusing on her or the romance of the moment but rather if the press was watching “Julia Elizabeth Montague will you marry me?”


	5. A Powerful Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia struggles with her decision to marry Rodger and makes a move that will change her life forever. In the present, she and David connect more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is called Home Secretary!

Chapter Five: A Powerful Woman

Was that a rule to be happy on your wedding day? Julia certainly hoped not. She was not unhappy, she just was not giddy and filled with excitement as most brides were. Even the wedding planner made a comment about it when she thought Julia was out of earshot. Upon this she was promptly told by Julia to mind her own business. Julia was never that girl who would spend her days thinking about her wedding, when she was a teenager she thought she would never get married. So she attributed that to her lack of excitement. But deep down in the recesses of her heart, she knew there were no sparks with Rodger. The only reason she was marrying him was that he was the only man who hadn’t disappointed her yet, which wasn't saying much since she didn't expect much from him. 

She was staring out the window of the church, there were several reporters stationed outside, this thing had become akin to a royal wedding, much to Rodger’s joy and her annoyance. “You know you can back out of this, it's not too late,” commented Lydia, who was Julia's maid of honor. Lydia hated Rodger. 

“No this is the right thing to do, I love Rodger,” she said in a unconvincing voice.

“No you just love that he’s not Jasper. My God, he is not good looking at all and he’s twenty years older than you.”

“What has good looking and my age gotten me? I almost lost because of Jasper. Rodger hasn’t done anything like that.”

“Oh give him time.”

“You’re just biased, you hate him, just admit it.”

“I will, I told you run for Parliament to change the country, not to ruin your life by marrying him.”

The next words that Julia would say she would later regret, “If you don’t support this wedding, you can just leave. And for God’s sake he’s only fourteen years older than me.” 

“Fine, I'll leave. Ruin your life,” Lydia cried as she left without another word. At that moment, Julia lost her best friend. She never spoke to Lydia again and years later after she divorced Rodger, she tried to contact her to apologize but to no avail.

It was late that evening, Julia was laying in the bed of some hotel that she could not recall the name of, she was now married. This should have felt like the happiest moment of her life but it wasn’t. The ceremony had been fine but the whole thing just felt like a circus to please Rodger. She was about to go to sleep when Rodger, who was next to her, kissed her on the cheek. “Good night,” she called.

“Night, oh and did you really have to sound so drunk during your toast tonight, the press was there,” he hissed.

“What do you care, today was about us, it was our wedding. The press can shove off, I do not care what they think of me.”

“As long as you are in office, you care what they and the party think of you.”

“I really do not want to get into a fight with you over this,” she snapped.

This began their marriage and it did not get any better. Their honeymoon was not really a honeymoon and what should have been marital bliss wasn't. Rodger would keep up his commenting and nitpicking, worrying about the party more than her and this was on his good days. He tried to control her every chance he got. He wanted to keep her from becoming more powerful than him. Sometimes she thought that was why he married her was to stop her from gaining more power, he thought she would be content to be a simple MP married to the whip. Her career was becoming a triumph, many wanted her to become party leader, of course Rodger didn’t approve, told her she wasn’t ready.  
Even without his yelling, his controlling ways, his trying to stifle her career, she had long discovered that she didn’t love him, never had. She had just loved the idea of him. Lydia had been right, she just loved that he wasn’t Jasper and was willing to sacrifice so much for that fact. He was worse than Jasper in so many ways. She had also come to the realization that Rodger never loved her. He just loved to control her.

She smiled a smug smile, she had finally decided to break free of Rodger’s control. Earlier that day, she had done an interview on the telly, expressing her joy over the thought that so many believed she could lead the party and eventually the country. This was her signal that she was freeing herself of Rodger. It was two in the morning, she was at the London home they shared. However, as of late their sharing was more akin to being flat mates. She had run out of reasons of why she should stay married. In the early days, she would convince herself that she loved Rodger, but really she loved her career and she thought leaving Rodger would ruin it. But staying with him was ruining her life, she didn't run for parliament to be stifled and abused and just stand by while Rodger captured power. She heard a car door, Rodger was home, probably coming back from one of his liaisons. She knew he was cheating on her, but she couldn't care less, that was the least hurtful thing he did.

She was sitting in the lounge as he walked through the front door. “What in the bloody hell was that interview,” he screamed. “You can be so cruel, do you just lie awake dreaming of ways to humiliate me and the party? Are you just still the stupid girl that came to Parliament all those years ago because she couldn't make it as a barrister?”  
“If I'm cruel than what are you, a monster? And if I humiliated you, I just consider it pay back for all the times you humiliated me . But I am tired of your cruelty and your stifling of my career and I am going to do something about it.”

“What is that supposed to mean? The only person stifling your career is you, if you just listen to me, you wouldn't have any problems but you try to be smart and you get yourself into all kinds of trouble. I know you believe since you’re married to the whip, I can get you out of the trouble you make for yourself. But I am getting damn tired of cleaning up your messes.”

“You act as if you save me or if I need you, I learned long ago that I couldn’t rely on you for anything. You don't save me you never have, I save myself.” 

“But you need me,” he growled.

“No I do not. You need me but you no longer have me, I’m leaving you!"

Upon this his face became flushed with a crimson red color, she had never seen him look so angry before, she thought he was going to hit her. “It will ruin your career, you care so much about advancing yours, leaving me will ruin you. I made you without me you would have become yet another Parliament golden girl to become a nobody. You would amount to nothing without me.”

“No you need me, I'm your shield so people won't see the real you. They see you as some kind doting husband, who actually cares about the people of this nation, when I know you for who you really are, a weak, evil man who only loves power. The only reason you married me was to stop me from becoming powerful, you just wanted some spineless wife that would follow you around and gawk at your imaginary accomplishments. You are just one of those blokes who can't stand to be with a more powerful woman. So I am simply done with you. Goodbye Rodger, maybe someday you can pop by 10 Downing street and say hello to me,” she said as she walked out of the front door!

“And that was why I left him because he was too afraid to be with a powerful woman,” said Julia in the present to David. At this point, they had made up and she had told him the story of Rodger. 

As she snuggled up to David, he smiled and whispered as he kissed her on the head “Don't worry I'm not a bloke like him, I'm not intimidated by your power.”


	6. Home Secretary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Chequers to launch her plan to become Prime Minister, Julia relives the time when she was chosen as Home Secretary. She also realizes that she is in love with David!

Chapter Six: Home Secretary

All Julia could see was darkness before her. It was a dark lonely road to Chequers, but she was glad she had David with her. In spite of the fact, they hadn't really talked during the whole ride over, his simple presence was comforting. There was more than sex going on between them. She knew he cared for her, with his phrasing from the day before “I didn’t expect this.” And she cared for him as well, she had found that out a long time ago. This was why he was driving, he was the only person she could trust, he cared for her as just Julia and not as the Home Secretary. She looked up at him and he smiled a slight smile at her as Chequers could be seen in the distance, this was it, her plan to become Prime Minister was about to be set in motion. 

As they approached the gates , she couldn't help but think of when she was first chosen as Home Secretary. It couldn't have been more than five in the morning, when her cell phone rang. She was in her Rodger free flat, it was the summer of 2016, in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. A new Prime Minister, John Vosler had just received the Queen’s permission to form a government. She was still in Parliament and was now one of the most powerful members. Leaving Rodger was the best decision she had ever made. She rolled over to answer the phone, “hello?”

“Julia Montague, I'm an aide to the new PM,” said the woman on the other end of the phone.

“Okay, but what constitutes calling me at this ungodly hour?”

“It's important Ma'am, the PM wants to meet with you.”

“What about,” she questioned?

“Just come to 10 Downing within the hour.”

Julia groaned as she got out of the bed to get dressed. Soon, she was on her way to 10 Downing street. 

Once she arrived, she was ushered into a grand looking room. As she walked into the room, she quickly scanned it to make sure Rodger was no where to be found, she despised working with her ex-husband. However, there was no Rodger just the Prime Minister sitting in a plain yellow chair in the center of the room.  
“Ah Julia come in,” he cried as she entered the room. “Have a seat.”

“Prime Minister,” Julia said as she sat in a pale blue chair across from him.

“Must be wondering why I called you here?”

“Yes, I think that’s pretty obvious.”

“It is indeed. So, I’ll cut straight to the chase, I want you to be Home Secretary.”

“Home Secretary,” she cried trying to hide the thrill coupled with annoyance in her voice. The question lingering in her mind was why they didn’t just tell her on the phone what this was all about. 

“Surprised eh?”

“No, I know my own ability.” At this afraid she might have crossed a line said “It is an honor to be considered Prime Minister, thank you.”

“So, you will serve,” he asked gruffly?

“Can I mull this over for a few days?”

“A few days? Good God woman, a few days? The country is in crisis, we can waste no time.”

“I can’t give you an answer right away. I don't think having an Home Secretary at this moment is going to scare off a crisis.”

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime, what is there to think about?”

“You know with all due respect I am the most qualified person for this position, so I believe you'll give me at least a few days to mull this over. I assure you, you are not going to find another soul better than me, again I mean no offense.”

At this, the Prime Minister sighed and thought for a moment “all right, I'll give you a day.”

“Thank you,” she breathed.

After she left number 10, she went to a wine shop and bought a bottle of wine and took it back to her flat. She began to drink and think. It wasn't that she didn't have the desire to serve, she did. By becoming Home Secretary, she would become one of the most powerful women in the country. However, there was the nagging feeling that if she accepted, she would be second always to the Prime Minister. She would have to do his bidding and not her own, being always loyal to him. Her career could become stifled again. She never liked to do anyone's bidding but then the thought hit her, she could be a different kind of Home Secretary like she was a different kind of MP. She could be a Home Secretary that actually could get things done and break away from the Prime Minister’s grip. And though she was not Prime Minister at the moment, this could be a clear pathway to her eventual goal of becoming number 10. She could break free from the Prime Minister when the time was right. Besides, it was another way to serve her country, the reason she got into politics in the first place. So, she became Home Secretary!

The thought made her shudder as she reentered the present. Here she was, just having come back from launching a significant step in her plan, confronting the PM about the allegations alleged in the Kompromat. She was standing in her hotel room with David as she let out a heavy sigh. With this David came up behind her and kissed her on the neck. After several passionate seconds, he gently removed his lips from her neck and kissed her on the forehead, “do you want to talk about it love,” he asked referencing their visit to Chequers. She had told him if she did not come back to go to the "Death Star." 

“No,” she replied as she looked up at him smiling at her. During this moment, she didn’t care if she became Prime Minister, all she cared about was him. It was at this moment that she realized she was in love with him. This had all happened so suddenly and without warning but she loved David unlike she had loved anyone else before. She wanted to tell him, but she felt it wasn't the right time, that it was too soon. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and passionately kissed his lips. She then bit his lower lip and roughly pushed him on the bed, kissed him again and then whispered as their passion began, “the only thing I want to do now is be with you!”


	7. Right Beside Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the day of her speech at St. Matthew's, Julia struggles to tell David of her love for him, as it seems like their relationship is falling apart. Can she save it , before it is too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a hard chapter for me to write. It is a little wonky in parts but I hope everyone enjoys it. So I decided to make this a nine chapter work, I will post chapter eight a little later this week and chapter nine probably next week.

Chapter Seven: Right Beside Me

What a difference a few hours made. Mere hours before, she had launched the very first steps on the path to her dream job and was happy and in love, tangled in passion with David. However, all of that felt as if it had been a lifetime ago. She shuddered as she got into the car on the way to St. Matthew's College. She was about to give her speech, in which she would directly challenge the Prime Minister. She should have felt empowered, her whole life was leading her to this moment but she didn't. She felt weak, helpless, sad and broken. After David left her and gone back to his room, she went to go find him but when she did, he experienced an episode induced by his experiences during the war. She knew he didn't mean it and he would never harm her but nonetheless the whole experience rattled her to her very core. It hearkened her back to the days when Rodger was at his very worst. It made her question everything. She knew he couldn't help it and that he was a good person that needed help. However, it hit her for the first time, that what they were doing might be dangerous as well as insane and unnatural. A Principal and a P.P.O was not only unseemly but dangerous, if word got out about them, David would lose his job and she would lose the key to number 10 forever. What they were doing was not child's play especially if the security service found out. She felt this relationship could have pushed David to this point. Maybe the job was too much for him, along with everything else. With this new found realization, she resolved to tell him that he would no longer be her P.P.O… The night before in the aftermath of everything, he asked if she wanted him replaced, she replied that she was unsure. But now she was sure. This broke her heart, she loved him but this was the result of their so-called unnatural relationship. She should have seen it before, it was doomed from the start.

She sighed as she wrote the word leadership into her speech as she and David drove to St. Matthew's in total silence. Things would go back to normal or what would pass for normal, when David left. She didn't regard normal as a good thing anymore. She would go on, possibly become PM and then what? In recent days being Prime Minister didn't seem nearly as important as it once was. She knew what was more important and that was David.

But she had to stop with all of this, she knew she and David could no longer be together, he could no longer be her P.P.O…. Doing what they were doing was tempting fate, it would destroy them. They had just arrived at St. Matthew's. She got out of the car and was grateful that she had David with her as eggs were being thrown. As she was being escorted into the college, she thought what was she ever going to do without him? 

She was ushered in a room to be alone with her thoughts, God she hoped that her staff did the fact check. She was thinking about David, if he didn't leave as her P.P.O., they would be ruined. But weren't they already destroyed? Their relationship, though their feelings were real, was artificial with David as her P.P.O, this made it unnatural in a way. It could never be truly real, there was always this imaginary barrier between them. A barrier that was created by his job. His job had originally thrown them together, without it she would have never really known David. The artificialness that was created by the barrier that their meeting was not one of choice was causing their relationship to become toxic. He didn't even know everything about her and she lied to him about knowing the name of his children’s school. 

She heard a knock at the door and saw David come in. Seeing him, her love, she resolved to tell him the truth about his children’s school. The words just tumbled out of her mouth. As she was telling him the story of how she found out the name, she looked at his face for any clues for how he might feel about her. With his piercing eyes upon her, she felt trapped, she wanted to push him onto the couch and kiss him but she couldn’t. Her mouth felt dry as the words “you being my P.P.O makes this difficult anyways…it's for the best that changes,” slipped from it. There she had said it those terrible words. She tried to comfort herself with the thought that she was doing the right thing. 

What had this supposed right thing ever gotten her? In a matter of seconds the life she had been pondering these past few days flashed before her. Marrying Rodger was the supposed right thing, dating Jasper seemed like the right thing but it wasn't. Running for Parliament, at the time Lydia put forth the idea, didn’t seem like the right thing. She was very young and inexperienced but she took a leap of faith that paid off. If she had stayed a barrister, Lord only knows what would have become of her? The point was that she followed her instincts and her heart and that always seem to work for her. Every time she didn't, disaster would strike, like it had with Jasper and Rodger. These experiences both good and bad had led her to this point, because of these experiences she became the Julia she was today but more importantly they had been leading her to David. 

Though it appeared, to be the right thing to let David leave her forever, it wasn’t. Yes, it would be better if he wasn’t her P.P.O anymore, they could finally be together in the way they were meant to be. They could be together, if it was their choice. Them choosing each other would save them.

On impulse, she grabbed his hand, she was going to tell him she loved him and put him above everything else. With his eyes locked upon her, she uttered those true and pure words that would tell him, she wanted to be together not bound by duty but rather by choice. She said “I want you right beside me not because it's your job…but because it's our choice!”


	8. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia and David contend with Julia's latest declaration of love. Julia ponders next steps. David struggles with his love for Julia and Vicki. Both are unaware that their lives are about to change forever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write a chapter nine, which I will post next week. Chapter nine will be the last chapter. This current chapter is super interesting you get to see what David is thinking. Enjoy!
> 
> Chapter Nine is going to be a little late this week, I will probably post it by Friday!

Chapter Eight: Questions

There it was. She told him she loved him and that nothing else mattered besides him, he was her everything. Their eyes locked. No words were said, there was no movement, it was just a stare, passionate and intense! After a few seconds, it looked like David was about to say something. His lips moved slightly but nothing came out. She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand tighter, wanting to feel his hand in hers, wanting to feel as if she had him for at least a second. For just a moment, they could be together, truly together with no duty or positions coming between them. Then she felt it. David pulled his hand away. At this, she was caused to wonder what it meant? With the pulling away of his hand coupled with his silence, she wondered if he didn't feel the same. Was this declaration too premature, was she getting too serious too soon? She wanted to yell at him to say something. She wanted him to answer her. 

With no answer coming from David, she had to think did she misjudge him? She thought he loved her and wanted to be with her. But was she making the same mistakes she made with Jasper and Rodger? With Jasper, she thought he loved her but he didn’t. And with Rodger, she couldn't really remember a time where she thought Rodger truly loved her. She had just thought in those early days that he could love her because he hadn't disappointed her. Was David really like them? Jasper and Rodger had used her for their own ambitions but David had never done that, he was a good man. But was this good man not in love with her?

“David,” she stuttered as he turned to leave, he stared at her. He gave her, what could have appeared to be in a certain light, a half smile, as he walked out into the hallway.

“God,” she thought. This was all she needed to be worried about David like some lovesick teenager. No matter what he said or what he didn't say, even if he didn't feel the same, she was glad she told him. If one of the many threats she received over the past several days came to fruition, he would know how she felt about him. This made her glad, she had never loved anyone so truly and purely like she did with him not Jasper and certainly not Rodger. At this she looked at her speech one last time and left the green room to deliver a speech that would not only change her career but her life.

David was in the back guarding the doors, Julia just started her speech a few minutes ago. He couldn’t help but stare at Julia as she talked. He almost hated himself for thinking this while on duty, Julia looked beautiful, smart and powerful. She looked in David’s mind whether it was right or not, hot! To him, Julia had that powerful woman sexiness going for her. He couldn’t believe he loved her! From the moment their hands touched, he felt something powerful though he didn’t want to like her. But she had won him over. She was smart, sweet, sensitive, generous, vulnerable but yet powerful and strong. He loved how she didn’t take crap from anyone. He had long discovered that this was more than sex with the Home Secretary. He had realized he loved her when he was telling her the story of how he wanted to become a doctor. He hadn’t really told anyone that story before but she made it so easy, it felt natural and pure. He loved her, he loved her truly and fully, though holding a candle for Vicki. He would always love Vicki. They had children together and a history but he loved Julia more. Julia loved him with his flaws. She had demonstrated that despite everything, she loved him and wanted to be together. She wanted something real and serious.

He knew that somewhere in the recesses of her heart, she knew that he loved her. But why hadn’t he told her? Why did he let her go on stage with questions of whether he felt the same way? This love was hard, it was easier to protect her than to be in a full out relationship with her. If he said yes, everything would change. It seemed scary to change the status quo. At the moment, the status quo seemed to be holding everything together. However, he realized now that if they didn’t change the status quo, they would become toxic, they would never survive. He realized if they changed the status quo, they would survive! He resolved that once she was off stage, he was going to take her hand, look into her eyes and tell her of his love for her and that he was choosing to be by her side.

Suddenly, he saw through the windows of the auditorium, Tahir, Julia's hapless assistant, peeking through. This didn't seem right, something was wrong. In a matter of seconds he was out of the auditorium on his way to confront Tahir.

This act was witnessed by Julia. “What on earth is he doing? What in God's name is going on,” she thought. It was a horrible position to be worrying about David while giving such an important speech. She resolved to let David take his time and not to pressure him about his feelings for her, let him do what he wanted to do. She saw him reenter the auditorium, “good,” she thought. She was glad he was there, she wanted him to hear what she was going to say next. As she started to say “from good education, good jobs, together we can…,” she saw Kim run towards the stage with David closely behind her. As she locked eyes with David, she knew he would keep her safe. She knew he loved her! She saw the bright flash of light and suddenly heard an awful bang as everything seem to fade to black….


	9. Life After Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the world believes she's dead, Julia awakens from surgery. As she struggles with her new reality, she remains hopeful that someday, she and David will be together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. Though wonky at times, I really liked writing this work. Thank you for all your comments and kudos. I'm not done with Julia and David yet, I'm going to be writing a shorter work that takes place after my first work "Alive." I will be posting the first chapter of that work on May 12.
> 
> If you haven't read "Alive" yet here's the link https://archiveofourown.org/works/16733523
> 
> ~Lavenderfreak

Chapter Nine: Life After Death 

Julia could see herself as a child running through the fields near her family’s home at Cheltenham. She was so happy and free, just dancing and picking a variety of wild flowers that grew near the fields. She would pick the petals off of the flowers as she danced around in a circle. It was the first time she felt that happy, that free. As quickly as it appeared, her childhood-self drifted away.

She was now back in the chamber housing the House of Commons, she was being sworn in as an MP, this was before Rodger and all the mess. She could see herself dressed in a blue suit, her favorite color, gleefully taking the oath, officially becoming a member of Parliament . It was a proud moment in her life. This moment too drifted away.  
“Are you all right love,” asked David as Julia was snuggled up next to him in some bed covered in white sheets.

“I believe I'm better than all right my love," she said as she rested her head on his bare chest as she held a glass of champagne. At this she lifted her head off of his chest and moved it towards his lips. Just as they were about to kiss, David drifted away.

Though her eyes were shut, she could almost see the bright yellow fluorescent light shining down on her. Julia was awaking from surgery! Though she was waking up , it was being announced to the country, the world and to David that she had succumbed to her injuries and had died on the operating table. She felt as though she had been hit by a train. No, take that back. It felt as if she had been hit by ten trains. What happened was the question dancing around in her head. She suddenly opened her eyes to see the ceiling of her hospital room. She blinked a few times. Then she suddenly remembered it. St. Matthews, her speech, Tahir, the explosion, David running towards her. She must have been injured in the explosion somehow and ended up in the hospital. She felt hazy. Lord, how many medications was she on? She raised her hand and saw an IV strapped to it. With her eyes still focused on the dull white ceiling, she moved her hand that did not have the IV, she felt a scar on her neck. God, they got her neck too. She was surprised that she wasn't blown to smithereens, she was so close to the source of the explosion, it must have been a bomb or something. All she could think about was the flash of light, the loud bang and David running towards her.

“Oh God David,” she thought. What happened to David? Was he all right? Was he there too in another room, getting treated for his injuries? With her eyes now half closed, she shot up in the bed and cried “David!” As she opened her eyes fully, she hoped to see David, waiting for her to wake up. However, much to her horror, she saw Rodger and her mother, Frances sitting by her bedside. Unfortunately, despite their divorce, Frances still bought Rodger’s act that he actually cared about Julia. She didn't realize his sudden caring about his ex-wife had ulterior motives.

“David,” she squeaked.

“You’re awake,” Rodger stated trying to sound like he actually cared, which he didn't.

“Julia, thank God,” Frances cried as she patted Julia's hand.

“David,” she cried again.

“Who is David,” asked Frances?

“A nobody,” replied Rodger shortly. “Will you excuse me,” he said as he got up and quickly headed out of the room.

Two Days Later:

Julia sat up in her hospital bed after waking up from a nap, she was miserable. She was being treated like a prisoner. There were guards outside of her room, only allowing certain people to see her. She had discovered that most of the world besides a handful of hospital staff who were being bribed, some government officials, Rodger and her mother, thought she was dead. David thought she was dead even though he was at the hospital. One of the nurses told her about David being there and how Rodger yelled at him, on his way to complete part one of his plan. Julia discovered that part of Rodger's plan was to gather a gaggle of doctors and nurses in the lobby to tell him and Frances, Julia had died. This act was to give further credence to his lie that she was dead.

She was furious that she was dead to the world. Why did they do this to her? She knew there were others in on this with Rodger but she didn't know who. As for Frances, the only reason she went along with this plan was that Rodger told her it was the only way to keep Julia safe. She sighed as Rodger came into the room.

“You're up,” he declared as he walked over to a set of chairs by the side of her bed that had some of her personal effects on them.

“Yes, I’m up but to the world I’m dead. But you know who isn’t dead like you told me? David’s not dead Rodger. He was here. Do you want to explain that,” she asked as Rodger started looking through her things. “What in the bloody hell are you doing?”

“You are leaving here.”

“Are you bloody mad? I was almost killed. I’m not going anywhere, until I am fully healed and then I am going to have to stop this bloody mess you made.”

“You are going somewhere, you are going to Bath to stay in a home there. Your life has been threaten several times, we in the government decided that in order to keep you safe, it would be best if the public didn't know you were still alive and that you stay in Bath until further notice.”

“That doesn't make bloody damn sense.”

“ I don't care. It’s for your best interest."

“You don't care about me, you all just want me to be out of the way. And why would you be so cruel as to tell me David is dead, when he is still alive?”

“We are not discussing this any further,” replied Rodger as he headed towards the door and walked out as two guards walked in.

Soon Julia was on her way to Bath. She didn’t even know how all of this was happening. She was losing everything she had worked so hard for. Everything she had devoted her whole life to. Everything that made Julia, Julia. But did all of that even matter now? She was separated from David. The haunting thought that she would probably never see David ever again took her mind hostage. This thought though was countered with another thought. It wasn't really a thought. It was more like a dream of a dream, hope against hope that someday she would be safe in David's arms and be Julia again!

**Author's Note:**

> What is David and Julia's ship name? Also what's your favorite scene in Bodyguard? In chapter two of this work, you get to see a tribute to one of my favorite scenes.


End file.
